Lia stared at the stone grave head Sephiria had carved, complete with the name of her intended victim in the centre: Kyoko Kirisaki.

'There wasn't even a sound when she cut into the rock.' Lia thought to herself as she watched Sephiria intently. 'She held nothing back in her display of power. And Kyoko's grave…'

Lia glanced at Kyoko.

'Sephiria… are you being serious?' Lia wondered. 'If Kyoko dies here today…'

Train's face flashed before her eyes, the memory of the light grin on his child's face as he'd given Kyoko the thumbs-up for keeping her promise causing Lia's heart to clench. But Sephiria was Captain and her orders absolute – that had been Lia's promise when she joined the Numbers. So she shook off her feelings and instead straightened her back, her stance shifting from observer to watch guard as her silver eyes analyzed every movement Kyoko and Sephiria made.

The former was staring wordlessly at Sephiria with a small, confused pout pulling at her lips. Sephiria herself remained aloof, Christ held casually at the ready by her side as she added suddenly, "However, Kirisaki Kyoko."

Both Lia and Jenos tilted their heads just slightly, the pair far more attuned to the situation than the main culprit even appeared to be, as Sephiria continued, "To avoid a misunderstanding, let me first say this: if possible, I do not want to take away an innocent person's life. Therefore… I have a suggestion."

Lia raised a brow, before both her brows shot up as Sephiria asked, "Would you be interested in working for Chronos as an eraser?"

Kyoko tilted her head in confusion, while her cat suddenly jumped down from the teen's shoulder and trotted off across the rocky ledge.

"If you swear your loyalty to Chronos and become an eraser," Sephiria continued, ignoring the cat that was coming her way, "I will guarantee your safety."

"Is she serious?!" Rinslet gasped out loud despite herself, while Jenos murmured uneasily, "Sephi…"

Lia meanwhile pursed her lips, glancing down to where Kyoko's cat had stopped right beside the gravestone Sephiria had carved, as Sephiria finished, "But, if you aren't willing to, I'll treat you as an enemy of Chronos-"

The Captain of the Numbers lifted her sword once more as she swore in a deadly voice, "-And execute you."

There was silence for only a second, before Kyoko broke it.

"What's an eraser?" The girl asked blankly, causing Rinslet to sweatdrop at how stupid the girl was.

Lia meanwhile leant on one leg, shifting her weight to a more comfortable stance as Sephiria explained calmly, "It means killer – a killer for Chronos."

"Ah! That's what it is!" Kyoko said brightly, her confusion clearing up while Rinslet stared at the girl incredulously. "They're called erasers because they kill people!"

Lia leant back on her feet, waiting. For she recognized what Sephiria had yet to, but would undoubtedly realize soon – Kyoko wasn't the brightest bulb, not by a long shot, but she was very loyal to her heart. It was the only thing that drove her, which was in many ways why she was so dumb; but it also meant that when her heart was guided in the right direction, she was an asset that would not be swayed.

Sure enough, Kyoko paused only long enough to realize the implications of what she had just said, before she huffed indignantly at Sephiria, "I can't do that! No, no, no! I object to that!"

Both Rinslet and Jenos stared at the girl as though she were insane, before Jenos's eyes became thoughtful as he looked from Kyoko to his sister and then to Sephiria.

"Why?" Sephiria questioned, unmoved, and Kyoko answered huffily, "Because I made a promise with Mr. Black! I will never kill again!"

"But, you'll be killed if you don't." Sephiria pointed out, but Kyoko remained firm as she snapped back determinedly, "Even if that's the case, I won't betray Mr. Black!"

Sephiria didn't react initially to Kyoko's declaration, instead keeping her deep, clear eyes fixed on Kyoko for a few seconds. Her eyes then flitted very briefly to Lia – so quickly that Kyoko and Rinslet missed the action – before she smiled.

"Is that so?" Sephiria asked, smiling, and causing Rinslet and Kyoko to feel confused again.

However, Jenos relaxed and Lia folded her arms casually as they watched Sephiria turn to the headstone she had carved. She swung her sword again, slashing in quick motions and shattering the entire creation just as silently as she had created it.

"It seems… your promise with Heartnet was true after all." Sephiria said quite calmly, as though she hadn't just destroyed solid rock.

Kyoko still looked confused, but Rinslet gaped and she asked Jenos, "What's this? Was Sephiria actually testing the weird monster girl…?"

"It seems so." Jenos replied, his lips curving up into a small smile as he stared at Kyoko's back. "Creating the tombstone was only an act to make Kyoko nervous."

As Kyoko continued to look lost, Sephiria sheathed her beloved Christ once more, explaining lightly, "Didn't I mention it earlier? Jenos has already told me everything. Of course, that includes the promise made between you and Heartnet."

Lia remained watching from the side as Sephiria noted, "If you had agreed to become an eraser right away, I would have killed you where you stood. However, it seems I worried for nothing."

Rinslet's eyes widened, and she began tentatively, "Sephiria, then…?"

"As long as you agree from this day forth to never become an enemy of Chronos," Sephiria affirmed as a genuine smile broke over the Leader of the Chronos Numbers' face, "I will promise you your safety."

Kyoko still didn't look like she fully understood, but Jenos glanced at Lia as he murmured, "Well. Looks like things have turned out all right after all."

"Yes…" Lia answered quietly, still staring at Kyoko.

The girl was so carefree, although with Kyoko it was to the point that she was an idiot. But at the same time, it freed Kyoko in a way very rare amongst those who had seen battle. The girl had no qualms and no regrets despite what she had done in the past. She could start over fresh as easily as Sephiria had spoken.

And Lia… Lia envied that.

Meanwhile, far away

Sven pulled up their small bug car outside an impressive house at the end of a winding, village road.

The house seemed like a small mansion with its size and the neatly maintained plot of land it was situated in, but it was also rather out of place in the middle of nowhere and near a thick forest that obscured a large portion of residence. The nearest village was quite a drive away, and it seemed odd that anyone would want to live so far after coming all the way out here to a rural village area in the first place.

Then again, given what they knew about the woman who lived here, perhaps it wasn't quite so peculiar after all.

The trio of friends got out of the car, and Sven let Train take the lead as they approached the front door.

Train's face was abnormally grave, particularly on such a young face, but his hand was steady as he pressed his small finger on the doorbell.

The three waited for a moment, but as they were met with only silence Train muttered, "No-one's answering…"

"Is this really Professor Tearju's house?" Eve questioned, looking up at Sven doubtfully.

The man nodded, checking the torn piece of paper Rinslet had handed him before they'd parted with the thief-for-hire. "That's what it says…"

Train, unable to keep still for long, meanwhile poked and tested the door, only to be surprised as it easily clicked open.

"Ah? The door's not locked." He noted. "Let's go inside!"

"It's not polite to just walk in, you know." Sven began, but he stopped as thick smoke and a strange, foul smell wafted towards and out the now opened front door.

"Uwah!" Train shrieked, clutching his nose in horror and revulsion.

"What the heck's that smell?!" Sven screeched, equally repulsed. "It's like a swere in here!"

Eve, while maintaining calm better than her companions, was also pinching her nose in distaste while Sven continued to work himself into a frenzy.

"Poison gas? Could… could it be some failed experiment? This is bad! If that's true, we gotta go save her…?"

Sven broke off, midstep into the house in his alarm, as a tall, willowy figure appeared in the entrance hall and right before them. She'd stepped out of a side door that clearly led either to a sitting room or a kitchen, but it wasn't her abrupt entrance that startled Sven so much.

It wasn't even the smoking pan in her hand; it was the woman's appearance.

He'd seen the photo, they all had; but it was still a complete shock to see what was an adult version of Eve standing right in front of their eyes. The only difference was a slight difference in hair and eye colour, and the fact that Tearju wore glasses. Otherwise, it was easy to see Tearju as being Eve's mother if she weren't so obviously too young for that to be possible.

As Sven stood, stunned, the woman spoke.

"I'm cooking right now, so…"

"Cook…ing?!" Sven repeated, his nose scrunching up even as his body jerked a little in shock.

Train and Eve were staring at Tearju with equal surprise, as gob smacked as Sven at seeing just how uncanny the resemblance with Eve was. It was then that Tearju's eyes fell on Eve as well, and she looked as taken aback as all of them when she saw the young, pre-teen girl standing beside Train.

"You're… Eve…?" Tearju gasped and she took a step forward, unable to believe her eyes.

Only to trip over her own foot, and the young professor gasped as she toppled forwards, barely managing to remain upright. But in doing so, she had thrown her arms up in an effort to maintain balance and the action caused whatever had been smoking in her pan to go flying out.

Train watched in horror as the black gunk of some sort that had been inside the pan landed on Sven's head, ruining his hat and sending the man into a frenzy.

"Uwah!" He screamed. "My hat is covered with… with… living puke!"

Sven went running around in circles, yelling, while Train, Eve and Tearju watched, the latter sheepish.

"Sorry." The young woman apologized awkwardly. "That was a fried egg…"

"That was a fried egg?!" Train repeated, gawking at the woman in shock. 'Wasn't it too dark? No, more importantly, how is it possible to burn anything to that point in a frying pan and NOT NOTICE?!'

As Sven and Train reeled from the shock of it all, Eve stepped forward.

"Professor Tearju." She addressed the older blonde directly, drawing Tearju's attention back to the child.

"We came here… to ask for your assistance." Eve explained firmly, keeping things professional even as she wondered just what relation Tearju had with herself.

The professor looked surprised at Eve's assertion and more than a little worried. But as Sven finally calmed down a little and Train managed to shake himself from his shock, Tearju nodded.

"You'd best come in then."

A few minutes later

"I see…" Tearju murmured. "That's why you guys came here…"

The group was in the professor's sitting room, Tearju standing with her chin resting on a finger thoughtfully, while Sven and Train sat across the coffee table from her. Eve was settled in the far corner of the room, leaning against the wall beside the French windows leading to the back garden as they watched Tearju.

"Yes." Sven answered Tearju, his spare hat on his head (his old one was beyond saving from the toxic mess Tearju had somehow created in the kitchen). "I thought that you, as a specialist in nanomachinery, would know of a way to return Train back to normal."

Tearju was staring at Train pensively, and she began slowly, "There is… a way indeed."

The group perked up as Professor Tearju explained, "If I could create nanomachines programmed to destroy the original nanomachines, and then inject it into his body…"

"That would return me to normal?" Train piped up, lighting up excitedly.

"Yes." Tearju hedged. "However, it would require a large budget and the latest equipment."

"A large budget?" Sven repeated, feeling the dread starting to creep into his gut. "How much would it require?"

"The minimum it would cost would be around one billion…"

Instantly, Sven felt like a dead weight (the weight of exactly one billion in cash) had suddenly landed on his head.

"Train!" He began valiantly, turning to his young – literally - partner. "It's a shame! But it's better if you give it up!"

"Wha-?!" Train gaped. "You changed your mind so quick-?!"

He was interrupted as tears streamed out of Sven's uncovered eye while the man himself cried, "We've already got a bunch of debts! Do you think we can support that kind of loan?"

"Why are you crying?!" Train yelled, sweat drops appearing on the back of his head at Sven's sobs.

"If that's the case," Tearju piped up, "there is another option."

"Eh?" Sven gasped as both he and Train turned back to the blonde woman. "There's another way you say?"

"… Yes." Tearju answered, her eyes drifting to land on Eve. "Because 'Lucifer' and the nanomachines within Eve's body are related, it should be possible. Using the neurotransmitters from the brain to control Lucifer would cancel the original transformation power."

"That's possible?" Train asked, perking up once more, and Tearju nodded.

"It should be." She confirmed. "The transformation is a biological phenomenon after all."

"Hm…" Train scratched his chin thoughtfully. "But… I'm not the little princess. Asking me to suddenly control nanomachines…"

"It's not impossible." Tearju interrupted. "Using your imagination, you need to visualize your former self."

"Imagination?" Train repeated in surprise, and Tearju nodded.

"Your imagination will transform into currents which will be transmitted through your nerves to the nanomachines." She explained. "The same way it does with Eve."

"Okay!" Train stood up, clenching his fists. "Although I don't quite understand, put simply all I have to do is think of my old self, right?"

"You're going to give it a try now?" Sven asked in surprise, and Train nodded.

"Yeah!"

Scrunching up his brows, Train took a deep breath before he yelled as he tried to will himself to change back. "Uwaaaaaaahhhhh-!"

"He's even making weird noises." Eve commented, and Sven added dully, "Thinking in your mind is enough, so why are you so noisy?

"Quit bothering me!" Train protested sheepishly. "It sounds more authentic this way!"

The two sighed, while Train closed his eyes again and muttered as he furrowed his brows once more, "Original form… Original form…"

His eyes flew open, widening with shock.

"Huh?! I can't remember!" Train cried in shock.

"…"

Sven and Eve just stared at Train speechlessly as Train pulled at his hair and spun this way and that while he tried to think what he looked like, going from one look to another in quick succession with each detail getting murkier the longer he tried to think.

"Looks like he's not that good at concentrating." Tearju noted, and Sven sighed, "That's because he's the kind that never reads books."

'This is bad.' He added to himself as he watched Train flail. 'How are you planning on getting out of this one now, Train?'